Mistletoe
by rosexknight
Summary: AU! Storybrooke is throwing a Christmas Party. The Location? Gold's house. Belle is in charge of decorating, because no one else wants to deal with the cranky Mr. Gold. But Belle doesn't mind, and Gold is okay with that. However, will the party go as well as everyone hopes? A fluffy oneshot.


Mistletoe

By RosexKnight

_AU! Storybrooke is throwing a Christmas Party. The Location? Gold's house. Belle is in charge of decorating, because no one else wants to deal with the cranky Mr. Gold. But Belle doesn't mind, and Gold is okay with that. However, will the party go as well as everyone hopes?_

The damn town was craftier than he'd given them credit for. How was he even remotely drug into this?

"Does this look alright?"

Gold lifted his eyes from the wine he was pouring to the brunette that was up the stairs, fiddling with some garland that she'd woven around the hand rail. Oh yeah. That was how.

"I suppose so." Gold said, sipping his glass. Normally in the case of someone over at his house he'd need something stronger. But not only was Belle over at his house, she was _decorating_!

It was time for Storybrooke's annual Christmas party. Normally it would have been held at Town Hall. The center of town. Someplace big enough for the residents that decided to come. Not everyone went, of course. It was usually the "head" of town. Business owners. The lifeblood of the sleepy town in Maine. Gold had never went, but he'd never heard anything bad about the gathering itself. However, this year, Madame Mayor was having renovations done to the place, and so the party needed to be moved. To his house.

How had he even remotely bee drug into this?

"So I think the last thing now is the lights…"

Oh yeah.

"Wine?" He offered the brunette as she came down the stairs, surveying her work with a keen eye. He suddenly wished he had more to offer her than something with alcohol. It was mostly all he had in the house. He could only hope he the girl didn't get the wrong idea.

She didn't. "Oh. Thank you. Um…this may sound weird, but do you happen to have any Sprite? Or ginger ale? I usually like my wine with a bit of a sprits."

"I'll see what I can do." He said, and when he turned with his cane to go to the kitchen her hand was on top of his.

"I can get it. That is…if you don't mind me poking around in your fridge."

"I don't see anything else about this house you can poke around in besides that."

And he was right. Belle had set to work decorating almost everything in the house. Right down to the bathrooms. It was as if Christmas had thrown up on it. Everywhere you looked there was holly and garland and ornaments. She'd even put up a tree!

Yes, the town was _much_ craftier than they'd given them credit for. As Belle opened his refrigerator to fetch one of the small bottles of sprite he kept on hand for the same reason as she and some extra ice, he wondered who knew about his soft spot for the brunette librarian. Someone did. Someone had paid attention and noticed his routine of going to the library for books. Someone had noticed how he always got the ones se recommended whether they interested him or not. Someone had noticed how he didn't fuss at her as sternly as others when the rent was a few days late or dollars short. Someone had noticed that the cup of the tea set Belle had accidentally chipped one day when she'd been admiring was placed higher, on display with the things he didn't want to sell. And someone had gotten _her_ to ask him about holding the party at his house.

"You own the whole town." She'd said, her voice nothing but liquid charm that swam through his veins and practically reduced him to a puddle, "We figured it made sense that we have it at your house since Town Hall is unavailable. Would that be okay, Mr. Gold?" And then she'd looked at him with those brilliant blue eyes and damn him if he didn't agree right off.

There'd been stipulations, of course. Belle was the only one decorating, mostly because everyone else was too afraid of facing Gold in his territory. But he didn't mind. He'd rather it be only her anyway. She'd been very patient with him, asking which rooms he wanted to deem "off-limits" and which of his knick-knacks he'd want to move and where to put them. Gold barely had to lift a finger other than telling her when something wasn't straight. Somehow she looked even more attractive when she was working. Even seeing her come back with sprite and ice, knowing they came from _his_ fridge made something inside of him stir.

"You can keep these, you know." She said, sipping her newly-spritzed wine. "I don't think anyone in town would object."

Gold wrinkled his nose. "We'll see. They don't suit me."

"I think they look nice here." She said with a shrug, "Are you a _scrooge_ Mr. Gold?"

"Certainly not." He said. "But Christmas is just like any other holiday. Trouble for business. People tend to be later on their rent around the holidays, and I can't have that."

Belle nodded, "I suppose I can understand your thinking, but you have to admit this place looks much…warmer now." She glanced over to him, as if realizing what she'd said. "I didn't mean to imply it wasn't before, just—"

"I know, dearie." He said, waving a hand dismissively to her. "It's been a while since the place has had a woman's touch."

Belle smiled at that, and Gold had no idea why. She always smiled at him. At what he said, even if he saw it as insignificant. She always smiled, and over time he'd tried to think of things to say so that he could see that smile again. He was reduced to a schoolboy when she was around, fishing for glances and smiles and any attention that he could get from her.

She finished her wine, setting the glass down as she moved again, "I'll start on the lights. Then I'll be out of your hair."

Oh he hoped not. He picked up the glass, smiling at the print her lipstick had made on it. She'd moved to another room, fiddling with the strings and strings of lights, wrapping them around banisters and garland. He left her to her work, going to the kitchen to wash the glasses and out away the wine. When he came back the house was aglow with twinkling white lights, and Belle was hanging something in the archway leading from the kitchen to the main room of the house.

"What's that?" Gold asked, placing his hand on the small of her back as to not alarm her when he came close to look.

"Mistletoe." Belle chimed happily. "The last touch."

"Mistletoe?"

"You don't know?" She turned to him when she was done, a green plant with white berries hanging from a neat bow in the archway. "You're supposed to kiss under it."

"Kiss under it." Gold rolled his eyes. "Sometimes these traditions are ridiculous."

Belle giggled. "Maybe. But this one is my favorite."

He glanced back at her, seeing her smiling at him, under the mistletoe, having just decorated his house. Bringing warmth and light with it. He swallowed, fighting the urge to rush over, take her in his arms, and kiss her. He gripped his cane harder, his heart rate picking up and he looked away before she could notice the warmth in his cheeks.

Oh yeah. He was in trouble.

Gold noted that the house had not seen so much life before the night of the party. Everyone had been very courteous, leaving their coats neatly on hangers in the closet rather than in a heap that normally formed when it was held at the town hall. No one had dared go into the rooms that were closed-off, and had even taken off their snow-ridden boots upon entering.

The usual suspects were there, Granny and Ruby who provided most of the food, Dr. Hopper, Belle's father with poinsettias, Regina herself with apple cobbler, Mary Margret and David Nolan, Ashley who offered games for the few children that were taken along, even Sheriff Emma Swan with her son Henry and boyfriend Killian Jones, with the promise that he would be on his best behavior.

Everyone settled into their spots, and Gold kept to himself in a corner of the main room, occasionally making small talk and answering questions about where to put things. But Belle had assumed the role of hostess a little ways into the party. Obviously she'd been deemed the authority of what was acceptable in the Gold house. And again, Mr. Gold didn't mind at all. He took to keeping an eye on her at all ties, making sure she was being taken care of as well as she was taking care of everyone else. He wasn't stalking her. No. He was just…making sure she had everything covered.

"Why Mr. Gold I didn't know you had a thing for younger women." Regina said with a smirk, sliding beside him with a glass of apple cider. Her eyes darted to Belle, who was laughing at something Emma had told her, and then looked away sheepishly. "Seems you can't even keep your eyes off her for a second."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Gold said casually. "I'm just making sure everything is running smoothly."

"Mmhmm and the fact that she's hostess to your host has nothing to do with anything?"

"Certainly not." He said, noticing Belle's wine glass was now empty. That needed to be remedied. "I'm just grateful to the librarian for making sure the intrusion on my home is well-handled."

"Sure." Regina wasn't convinced, but she didn't push it. "Well you're not the only one after her tonight. So I suggest you stop acting like a love-struck schoolboy ad make up your mind."

He gave Regina a glare, but she just sauntered off towards a group of fellows where Robin Hood was mingling. His glances over to Madame Mayor were less than discreet. Gold rolled his eyes, moving to go to the kitchen where Belle had slipped from his sight, but she caught him before he'd spotted her, placing a hand on his arm the way he'd done to her earlier today.

"I wanted to thank you." She said with a smile. "For letting us hold the party here. Everyone's been saying this is the best one yet."

"Of course." He said, trying to stop the tingling under his skin at her touch. He hadn't gotten a god look at her until now. Her dress was red, trimmed in white silk and accentuated her curves in a way Gold wished he hadn't noticed. "You look lovely, by the way." He said, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.

And Belle smiled and oh how he loved the look in those brilliant blue eyes as she looked up at him. "Thank you." She said, tapping his tie, one of his more ridiculous ones with a candy-cane pattern. "And I like your tie."

Was that a blush on her cheeks? He had no idea. He needed a way out. Wine! Yes. Hadn't she needed more wine?

"Uh-oh. Belle." Ruby's voice chimed from the kitchen. The two turned to her, her look one of confidence and teasing. Like she knew something they didn't. "Look where you're standing."

Simultaneously, Gold and Belle looked up. Staring at them was the green plant with white berries hung with a neat bow.

"Mistletoe." Belle said, the words barely audible but to Gold. Nervousness coated the word. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly very dry.

Well if they weren't both blushing before they certainly were now. Gold couldn't look at her, but that was okay because she couldn't look at him either.

"Well? You know what that means." Ruby said playfully.

"It's just a silly tradition." Belle said, and Gold's body went cold, guilt swarming through him. "No one else has been honoring it tonight."

"No one else has been under it tonight." Emma pointed out, suddenly appearing beside Ruby with the same wry smile. "Trust me I was prepared to break it up."

"And it's not like anyone hasn't tried to stop you or any of us under it, Belle." Ruby pointed out, "You just weren't having it."

"Oh…but…" Belle and Gold glanced at each other, and Gold realized it.

She wanted to. She wanted him to kiss her. Here. Under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve. The beautiful Brunette that he'd been infatuated with since her first visit to the pawn shop wanted him to be the one to kiss her here. Had she known? Was that why she'd caught him here? One look told her she hadn't. And a smile tugged at Gold's lips.

"I really don't think—"

"Now, now dearie." Gold said without realizing he had. He gripped his cane tighter, as if that alone would support the sudden shakiness of his legs. Emma and Ruby exchanged a look before turning, walking back to the kitchen and the dessert table. "Didn't you tell me this was your favorite tradition?"

"Of course but—" She was looking at him now, eyes searching his gaze, body relaxing when she found it, whatever it was, that she was looking for. Her cheeks were as red as his, and Gold could only guess that her heart was pounding just as hard in her ears. "You said it was ridiculous."

"Perhaps I was mistaken."

"Oh?"

Before she could say anything further his lips were on hers. Tender. Nervous. As if expecting her to run off the moment the rational part of her realized what she was doing. But then she kissed him back, melted against him, made a small noise in the back of her throat, and he all but pooled at her feet.

The kiss was far too short; a fleeting meeting of lips and emotions ad sparks before they pulled away from each other. He made a mental note to stop her again, later, when they were alone. Something had told him before she'd be the last to leave the party, and then he'd give her the kiss she deserved.

"Still don't want any of the decorations?" Belle teased.

"This one can stay."


End file.
